New Hampshire fishing reports
67 reports for New Hampshire — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
35-inch holdover striper hits Merrimack as shad bite builds
A 35-inch striped bass hammered a paddletail shad at the mouth of the Merrimack River last Sunday morning — almost certainly a holdover working its way downriver, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME. Shad action is also slowly picking up along the Merrimack corridor, with North Andover already tagged as the hot zone by the same source. USGS gauge 01073500 logged a moderate 119 cfs in the early hours of May 7, offering manageable flows that should concentrate migratory fish at pool heads and current seams. No direct angler reports came through for Lake Winnipesaukee this week, but early May is prime post-spawn territory for the lake's smallmouth bass on its rocky shoals. Across the broader region, bass are deep in the post-spawn transition with multiple presentations working, per Tactical Bassin — topwater at first light through finesse mid-lake. The waning gibbous moon favors early-morning and late-evening feeding windows heading into the weekend.
Striper Migration Snowballing Toward NH as Gulf of Maine Water Sits at 44°F
Water off the NH coast registered 44°F at NOAA buoy 44007 as of this morning — cold by striper standards, but consistent with early May in the Gulf of Maine. The key signal: On The Water's May 1 migration map confirms the push is building. "The striper migration really snowballs once the large post-spawn females leave the Chesapeake," the report notes, placing the NH shore squarely in the path of the advancing wave. On The Water is also flagging glidebaits as having "taken over the Northeast striper scene in 2026," making it worth rigging that presentation now. Expect early-arriving school fish along jetties and rocky points; post-spawn cows typically trail behind once water climbs above 50°F. A sustained 10 m/s (~22 mph) wind complicates boat access today but could concentrate bait against sheltered structure for surf casters working the shoreline.
Bass Pre-Spawn Underway: Merrimack at 133 cfs, Winnipesaukee Coves Warming
USGS gauge 01073500 recorded a flow of 133 cfs on the Merrimack watershed at 1:15 a.m. May 4 — moderate spring runoff pointing to stable, wading-accessible conditions on tributary streams. No water temperature data was available from gauges or buoys; mid- to upper-50s°F is typical for NH freshwater in early May, with sun-exposed shallows and protected coves running a few degrees higher than the main lake. Bass are the headliner right now. Wired 2 Fish this week outlined a swimbait-followed-by-finesse-bait approach for targeting pre-spawn and spawning fish near beds, stumps, and shallow structure — exactly the playbook that applies to Lake Winnipesaukee's warming coves and Merrimack impoundments. Cover water with a swimbait to locate and trigger reaction strikes, then seal the deal with a soft plastic finesse bait. Landlocked salmon and lake trout remain accessible in the lake's deeper column before summer stratification closes that window. A waning gibbous moon favors dawn and dusk activity over midday pushes.
Striper Vanguard Pushing North — Gulf of Maine at 44°F as Migration Rolls In
NOAA buoy 44007 read 44°F water off the NH coast on May 3 — right at the cold-water threshold where early stripers begin probing New England shores. The context from further south is encouraging: The Fisherman (Northeast) reports a surge of aggressive stripers flooding Narragansett Bay by April 30, fish running 25–40 inches, with scouts pressing into rivers and bays from Jamestown to the Canal. On The Water's May 1 migration map confirms the post-spawn push of large females is now snowballing northward out of the Chesapeake. For NH Seacoast anglers, that vanguard could reach Gulf of Maine inlets and tidal estuaries within days. Winds logged near 15 knots at buoy 44007 are keeping chop on open water — pick your launch windows carefully. The full moon is amplifying tidal flush through inlet mouths, a reliable early-season trigger that concentrates bait and bass in predictable ambush zones.
Merrimack Running 135 CFS Under Full Moon as NH Spring Salmon Window Peaks
USGS gauge 01073500 recorded 135 cubic feet per second on the Merrimack this morning — a moderate, wade-friendly flow that leaves the productive mid-river runs accessible and gives drift anglers clean lanes. No water temperature reading was available from today's gauge pull, but early May typically marks the inflection point from cold-water peak into pre-spawn warmup across the Merrimack watershed and Lake Winnipesaukee basin. Tonight's full moon (May 3) is worth planning around: landlocked salmon and bass historically feed hard through the overnight hours near this phase, setting up aggressive morning bites on May 4 and 5. Angler-intel feeds this cycle didn't surface NH-specific shop or captain reports, so species assessments below lean on seasonal norms and gauge data rather than fresh local testimony. Field & Stream's spring aquatic-insect primer published this week is a timely signal that mayfly and caddis hatches are accelerating across New England — fly anglers targeting trout and salmon on moving water should be matching the hatch right now.
Full Moon Window Opens on Winnipesaukee as Merrimack Runs 107 CFS
USGS gauge 01073500 logged 107 CFS on the Merrimack watershed at 5:15 PM today — a moderate-low reading for late April that signals the bulk of the spring snowmelt surge has cleared and water clarity should be on the mend. No temperature reading came through on that gauge, but late April typically pushes New Hampshire lake shallows into the mid-40s to low 50s°F range — a productive window for landlocked salmon still holding near depth transitions before summer stratification sets. Tonight's full moon is the biggest short-term variable: lunar influence tends to trigger pre-dawn and dusk feeding sprees, so plan to be on the water at first light to catch the tail end of that activity. Regional angler-intel feeds this cycle did not return NH-specific shop, charter, or state agency reports for the Merrimack or Winnipesaukee area, so the species outlook here is grounded in the gauge data and typical seasonal patterns for this watershed. Bass are entering pre-spawn mode, perch are likely wrapping their own shallow spawn, and stocked trout are freshly accessible in Merrimack tributaries — check NH Fish & Game for current schedules.
Striper Push Advancing Toward NH Coast as Water Hits 46°F
NOAA buoy 44007 recorded 46°F water temps off the NH seacoast at 5:10 AM on April 30, with winds running at 6 m/s and air temperatures near 44°F — classic late-April Gulf of Maine conditions. No NH-specific charter or shop reports are available in this cycle, but The Fisherman (Northeast) confirms the regional striper push is in rapid-expansion mode: schoolies are "exploding into slots and overs" across southern New England, with fish to 30 pounds already showing in western Long Island Sound, and Buzzards Bay upgrading from schoolies to mid-30-inch class fish in a matter of days. That northward velocity puts the NH seacoast in line to receive the migration's leading edge imminently. Tonight's full moon will drive some of the month's strongest tidal exchanges along estuary mouths and rocky points — prime ambush windows for stripers moving into coastal structure. Anglers willing to brave the chill should target dawn and dusk tides over the next 48–72 hours.